A hybrid vehicle of one proposed arrangement specifies the timing for a restart of an engine, based on the inner temperature of a passenger compartment, the set temperature of an air conditioner in the passenger compartment, and the temperature of cooling water in an engine (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. H09-233601). When the temperature difference between the inner temperature of the passenger compartment and the set temperature of the air conditioner in the passenger compartment is not less than a preset reference value, this hybrid vehicle restarts the engine even in a vehicle stop state or in a motor drive mode using the power of an electric motor alone for driving and utilizes the heat produced by the engine to heat the passenger compartment. Here the reference value is set to increase with an increase in temperature of cooling water in the engine.
One proposed measure for the improved fuel economy shortens the purge time of evaporated fuel adsorbed in a canister in the low outside air temperature condition (see, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. H08-14118).